Kobe IX Elite - "Masterpiece"

The Kobe IX "Masterpiece" is my favorite Kobe shoe ever released. That's a pretty heavy statement to make, but I seriously can't think of another GR Kobe shoe that I like more than the one below.

These were designed by Eric Avar, and I'm sure that most of you know about his incredible footwear design resume. If you are unfamiliar with his past work, do a quick Google search and you'll be pleasantly surprised at all the projects he's been a part of. Some of my favorite pairs include the Air Foamposite One, Air Flight Huarache, Air Penny II, and the Zoom Flight 95. With that said, the Kobe IX Elite tops the list in my eyes.

I'm sure you've read all of the tech specs in the past, so I won't dive into that. I will talk about how I felt when I first saw the official images. Since I've been a huge fan of the entire low-top Kobe signature line prior to the IX Elite, I was a bit indifferent about the ankle collar. But, after I had some time to digest the obscure silhouette lines, they grew on me faster than any other shoe in recent memory. I've always compared footwear to music... If you instantly fall in love with a song, it probably won't be on your favorites list later down the line. But, if a song eventually grows on you, those are the ones you'll replay forever. I personally feel like footwear has a similar impact on consumers.